Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
by vulpixfairy
Summary: An AU modern fluffy oneshot. Alfred is woken up in the middle of the night by his little brother Arthur who has a nightmare. As a good big brother, Alfred sings a lullabye to comfort the little boy...Brotherly USUK love (Alfred: big brother, Arthur: little brother). Please read and review!


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya nor do the sweet lullabye _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_ from the 2005 _Care Bears Nighty Night_ Album. But most importantly, the Care Bears creation goes to American Greetings. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have discovered as one of the best cartoons in my childhood :)**  
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**Author's notes:** Finally! I've written something that is brotherly between Alfred and Arthur! This was inspired by my childhood love of Care Bears and somehow...this story is born when I was listening to some lullabies from the _Care Bears Nighty Night Album_ out of curiosity. This came from out of the blue and written within 2 hours, including editing and I feel so much better after writing it :) So if you are here to enjoy brotherly fluff, I hope I delivered well! Read on, my dears!

**Story Notes:** This is an AU human story taken in modern times where Alfred is the older brother and Arthur is the younger adopted but deeply loved brother :) Therefore human names are used. Also expect brotherly fluff, minor Care Bear references and possible OOC, the song lyrics of the lullabye are in italics...that should cover it!

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**Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star**

Alfred was having an awesome dream about jets and hamburgers when he felt something insistently tugging on his sweatshirt. He grunted in annoyance, trying to maintain a grip onto his dream world...

"Alfred...Alfred...wake up...Alfred..."

Then his sky blue eyes immediately popped open the moment he heard the soft tiny voice. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses he left on his bedside table. Placing them on his nose, he switched on the small lamp and looked over his bed to find a small scrawny boy with messy golden blonde hair looking up at him. Although he was frowning, his green eyes were glossy and he was clutching his blue bear close tightly to his chest. Alfred forgot about his irritation at being woken up. His heart melted at the sight of the large green eyes and his big brother instincts kicked in.

"Hey, Artie...why are you up? It's pretty late, you know," Alfred ruffled the boy's hair before picking him up to settle him on his lap whereupon the little boy latched onto him, fisting the cloth in his tiny hands while still struggling to keep his bear close. Alfred smiled when he saw the frown stitched on the bear's muzzle and the rain cloud with heart shaped raindrops stitched on its belly...ah...Grumpy Bear was always by his side. His name was stitched on one his paws, courtesy of their mother.

"I'm Arthur...not Artie..." the boy mumbled in irritation before burying his face against the teenager's chest, "Stupid..."

Alfred chuckled and just hugged the child close, nuzzling his messy hair. He knew that Arthur secretly liked the nickname even though his words said otherwise. It made the little boy feel special.

Arthur was quite a mysterious child and he wasn't like the other children at his age. He hated McDonalds and other kinds of fast foods imaginable. He always seemed to grumpy all the time just like the bear in his arms yet he was very well-behaved around adults and gave the loveliest smiles when he was in a good mood. He enjoyed reading fairy-tales and listening to music as opposed to playing video-games and action figures. But the one thing he loved like any other child was cartoons; more specifically the cartoons Alfred himself watched during his childhood in the 80s...the Care Bears were his instant favourite and the Grumpy Bear toy was the proof of that. Ever since Alfred bought it for him after discovering his brother's love for the cartoon series and always talking about Grumpy Bear as his most favorite character, Arthur was rarely seen without his blue companion. It was all the more special to the little boy since he was bought on Alfred's birthday when the teenager opted to spend more time with him instead of Matthew and his friends...but that's a story for another day.

Alfred along with his parents and his twin brother, Matthew adopted him into their family, feeling a strong connection to the boy who had been neglected by his own family and wished to give him the love he didn't receive in his earlier years. The kind nun who looked after him and the other children in her care and the social worker who handled his case told them all the details. His story broke their hearts, especially Alfred's.

Little Arthur originally came from England and he was unwanted in his real family. He was bullied by his several older brothers and he was called a mistake by his parents who didn't plan on having another child in their brood. The boy ended up in the local children's home that was run by a well-respected church when a disastrous family outing turned into a fatal car accident with Arthur being the sole survivor at the tender age of 3 years old.

Alfred had wanted to curse the deceased family at their uncaring and cold treatment towards this child who only ever wanted to be loved and accepted. The moment the adoption was officially finalized, Alfred had vowed as a hero to show Arthur that he was loved in this family just like he and Matthew was.

Nearly a year had passed by and how time flew by so quickly. Arthur got on quite well with Matthew when it came to playing toys, telling stories and cooking pancakes. His twin was a soft-spoken teenage boy with a gentle heart who adored Arthur to bits. He was still a bit wary around his mum and dad since they briefly reminded him of his own parents who never loved him. But they were understanding and patient with him like the good parents they were. In return, Arthur did his best to return the affectionate hugs, tender words and loving kisses bestowed by the couple. And Alfred himself...well...he loved this little boy with all his heart. Sure he liked to tease him of his strange taste in food like sweet tea and bland scones and to make fun of his thick eyebrows and bed head just to see him burst into a temper tantrum. But Arthur always turned to him for comfort and all of his sweetest smiles were directed to him whenever he felt truly happy. In return, Alfred would do anything to see his little brother smile and make him feel special.

Alfred was pulled from his fond reminiscing when Arthur began to tremble in his arms. He saw a large wet spot forming at the front of his sweatshirt. Soft sobs erupted from the little chest and the frown was replaced by a heartbreakingly sad look that tore Alfred's insides.

"Hey...hey...it's okay...I'm here. What's wrong?" Alfred cooed softly as he brushed his fingers through his hair.

"I had a nightmare...it was scary..." Arthur sniffled, his cheeks red and the tears still flowing from his eyes, "They were there..."

"Who was there?" Alfred gently prompted, his grip tightening around the bony shoulders.

"...my real mummy and daddy...and...and my brothers...they told me they never loved me..." Arthur sobbed, pressing his cheek against his brother's chest. Large tears rolled down his reddening cheeks, "Make the pain go away! It hurts...it hurts so much...they...they...don't want me...they hate me...and...and...I don't want you, Mattie and mummy and daddy to hate me too!"

"Awww, Artie..." Alfred sighed and cuddled him close, patting his back softly, "Hey...it's okay...I got you, buddy..."

Every now and then, Arthur would get nightmares of his past and get into crying fits that took a long while to dispel. Sometimes the nightmares were so bad that he would be skittish around his current family for a good number of days before settling back to his normal self. So far, only Alfred was able to soothe the little boy from his terrible dreams and the teenager silently hoped it would stay that way...he felt a bit selfish...after all, he wanted to be a hero for his youngest brother.

"Those bad dreams don't matter anymore, Artie," Alfred soothed the boy as he pressed his cheek against the golden blonde mop of messy hair, "You're here with a family that cares deeply for you. Mattie, mum and dad and I love you...we love you so much! We would never ever hate you."

Arthur sniffled and rubbed his sore eyes, staring at his big brother with hope glistening in the green pupils, "Really? You're not lying?"

Alfred's sky blue eyes shone with passionate conviction, "Not lying, little guy. You're so important to us. We only want you to be happy and that's what really matters to us. A hero always keeps his word!"

"Promise? Cross your heart and hope to die if you break it?"

"Yeah, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die if I break it," Alfred made an imaginary cross above his chest with a sincere look on his face, "So no more crying, okay?"

At once, the frown returned to Arthur's little face. But he didn't push away Alfred's large hand gently wiping the tears away from his cheeks.

"I'm not crying..."

"Hey...it's getting late and we have a big day tomorrow. Do you know what day that is?"

Arthur nodded, mirth returning to his eyes, "My birthday, right?"

"Yup! Mum and dad have got a surprise for you. I'm gonna take you somewhere cool and Mattie's making you his extra-special pancakes for your breakfast," Alfred grinned at the way his little brother's green eyes sparkled and his little mouth starting to water. Alfred knew how much he loved Matthew's sweet confections.

"Will Matthew put cherries in them? They're really tasty."

"We'll have to wait until morning to find out, little bro..." Alfred stood up from his bed and hefted Arthur into his arms, "So let's get you back to bed, okay?"

"Okay..."

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Alfred carried the little boy back to his bedroom. It was dimly lit by the Care Bear night light near Arthur's bedside table. Alfred placed Arthur back into his little bed, which was decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars and vintage and modern Care Bears stickers and decals. Alfred had to smile. It was his own bed when he himself was a little boy. The teenager pulled the comforter back over Arthur and handed Grumpy Bear to him. The little boy immediately cuddled the blue bear on his right side while he reached out for Mr. Fluffles, his white stuffed bunny, and placed him on his left side. Alfred brushed his hand over the child's forehead.

"Alfred...lullabye, please?"

"Sure, do you want me to turn on the CD player for you to listen to your _Care Bears Nighty Night_ album?" when Arthur shook his head and gripped onto his sleeve to prevent him from moving, Alfred was a bit beside with surprise. He knew Arthur loved that CD to bits and always listened to it before bedtime, "Artie?"

"I'm not Artie...can you sing one of them to me, please?" Arthur softly asked, his voice turning shy, "I...I want to hear your voice before I sleep...it makes the nightmare go away..."

"Alright, little bro..."

There was one particular song that little Arthur liked in his _Care Bears Nighty Night_ album...Alfred should know because he would more often than not hear his little brother sing along with it before he would nod off to sleep.

He knelt by Arthur's bedside, gently taking the tiny hand from his sleeve and gripping it tightly in his own. With tenderness shining in his bespectacled eyes, Alfred began to sing softly.

"_Twinkle, twinkle little star, Care Bear rainbows from afar...up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky...twinkle, twinkle little star, Care Bear rainbows from afar..._"

Arthur's eyes began to droop drowsily and his face was starting to look serene. Alfred took Grumpy Bear and began to move the toy as he sang the next verse, making the blue bear look like it was coming to life before him.

"_We're here living in the clouds, sharing feelings, feeling proud...if you've had a little fright, we'll let shine our Care Bear Light..._" Alfred pressed the bear's belly, making the raincloud and the tiny red heart symbols glow gently in a comforting light and Arthur's smile returned at the sight...his big brother always made him feel better...with Grumpy Bear, of course, "_Twinkle, twinkle little star, Care Bear rainbows from afar..._"

"Al...fie...love...you..." Arthur murmured as Alfred tucked the bear back next to the boy, whose eyes were fully closed.

"Love you too, Artie..."

As Arthur's breathing evened out, Alfred smoothed the comforter over the tiny body and his two toys, watching the boy finally succumbing to his exhaustion. He wiped the remaining tears from the child's eyelashes and cheeks. He chuckled under his breath at the sweet sight. To be doubly sure that Arthur was deeply asleep, he started to sing the rest of the lullabye.

"_When you look into the sky, staring up with head held high...we'll be waiting there for you, with our friendship oh so true..._" Alfred briefly stopped when he felt another presence behind him. He grinned to see Matthew coming up next to him while gazing down at the child fondly, "_Twinkle, twinkle little star, Care Bear rainbows from afar..._"

"What are you doing up, Alfred? It's late..."

"I should ask you the same thing, bro..."

"Did he have another nightmare?" Matthew asked softly, minding the sleeping boy in the bed as he gently patted the tousled locks. After getting a nod in return, his bespectacled sapphire blue eyes dimmed, "These nightmares...they never stop coming, will they?"

"All we can do is to be there for him...I will never understand why no one would just do something so cold to Artie like that..." Alfred's cheerful eyes turned solemn, "Over my dead body, I won't let him experience such pain ever again..."

The two teenagers sat in silence as they watched over their youngest brother. After a while, Matthew let out a huge yawn.

"You should get some sleep, Mattie. What with you having to wake up early to make Artie's breakfast."

"I know but it's just...I felt this need to check up on Arthur...but seeing you there, it appears you already did your hero's duty," Matthew patted his twin's shoulder before getting up.

"Hey, bro, there'll be cherries, right? Artie was asking that a few minutes ago."

Matthew chuckled, "As many as he likes. 'Night, Alfred."

"'Night, Mattie..."

After hearing his twin returning to his bedroom, Alfred turned to the little boy now sleeping soundly in his bed. His face was free of worries and a small sweet smile was present on his lips. The teenager wished he should've brought his iPhone to capture that image but it didn't matter. His little brother was now able to sleep well tonight and he couldn't wait to celebrate the boy's birthday with the rest of the family when morning would arrive.

Alfred nuzzled his cheek against the boy's forehead and whispered softly into his ear.

"Sweet dreams, Artie..."

**The End...**

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**Author's notes:** And yes, I must include Matthew at the end...he needs love! This is by far the shortest Hetalia story I've written...I feel Arthur needs more love...I know how much of a good brother he is to Alfred when the latter was a colony in the Hetalia universe so why not I give the same to Arthur but in a different setting and there might be more of these brotherly stories to come, given the right inspiration :) Anyway, I have more USUK shounen-ai and yaoi fics coming up to Valentine's Day so look out for them (or go to my profile page to see what's coming up)! Reviews and feedback are much appreciated (flames will be used to BBQ my pork ribs!) and until next time, my dears!


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